“That’s the biggest topic in the city,” said the 24-year-old rapper. “I’m a new parent and I want my daughter to be a CPS [Chicago Public Schools] kid, and if there’s no more CPS then how’s that gonna happen? I’m trying to play my part.”

Chance explained that he comes from a family of activists. His father worked for several Chicago mayors, as well as then-Senator Barack Obama. “My grandmother volunteered herself and all her kids to work for [former mayor] Harold Washington’s campaign when they had no money. There’s a lot of women and men in my family, especially my dad, who are just leaders … There’s just always been a calling to, if there’s something wrong in the world to try and put some type of dent in it.”

Despite his family’s history of activism and public service, Chance dismissed running for office himself. “Politics is the reason why a lot of stuff doesn’t get done, there’s a lot of limitations,” he said. “There’s a lot of people who become a little silenced and a little bit stagnant when they get in office.”

Chance detailed some of the issues that inspire him to make change, such as the troubling racist graffiti painted on LeBron James’ home and gun violence, segregated neighborhoods and poor police-community relations in Chicago. When asked how he felt about President Donald Trump’s past comments about the city, Chance shrugged and said, “I dunno, I haven’t seen him in Chicago before. I don’t know if he knows what he’s talking about.”